Chess master, Tunde Onakoya’s parents get house gift
By Jide Ajia
Chessmaster, Tunde Onakoya, finds himself engulfed in emotions as an unnamed good Samaritan graciously gifted a house to his parents.
The development is coming on the heels of Tunde’s breaking of the Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon in New York.
While the official verdict on Tunde’s record-breaking endeavoir remains pending, the spirit he exhibited throughout the marathon has already won him admiration and acclaim from far and wide.
Overwhelmed by the gesture towards his parents, Onakoya took to his X handle to pour out his heartfelt gratitude on Friday.
Despite his father’s initial skepticism towards his passion for chess, Onakoya acknowledged his unwavering support in myriad other ways.
He wrote, “Today, an angel blessed my parents with a new home. It stands as the epitome of the greatest act of kindness I’ll ever witness in this lifetime. Thank you.
“My mother toiled as a janitor in the very institution where I pursued my education, ensuring I had the opportunity to learn. Meanwhile, my father navigated the chaotic streets as a Danfo driver and conductor, tirelessly striving to put food on our table.
“To afford them the life they truly deserve is the greatest joy life could ever bestow upon me.”
Onakoya set a new Guinness World Record for the longest chess marathon after playing for 60 hours last Friday.
He had initially set himself a target of 58 hours before he decided to add two more hours in Times Square, New York, United States.
Onakoya experienced intense vomiting and stomachache during the challenge but refused to give up.
He has now surpassed the previous Guinness World Record set by Norway’s Hallvard Haug Flatebø and Sjur Ferkingstad.
The two Norwegians set the record of 56 hours, 9 minutes, and 37 seconds for the longest chess marathon in November 2018.
Onakoya is only awaiting the official approval of the Guinness World Record to emerge as the new chess record holder.
To achieve this, Onakoya started playing chess non-stop from 10 am on Wednesday, April 17 to 10 pm on Friday, April 19.
Onakoya set up a programme “About Play Chess With Tunde Onakoya❞ to support the dreams of millions of children globally.
The 29-year-old said the goal of the programme is to donate 1 million chess sets globally by 2030, using chess as a simple tool to expand access to education.
To date, they have secured 116,000 chess sets for global distribution, reaching over 25 countries.
The Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, has appointed Onakoya the sports ambassador of the state.
Abiodun, who made this known when he received Onakoya in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta, also announced the commencement of the state chess competition, which will be held in all parts of the state in honour of Onakoya.
Abiodun, who was impressed with the achievement of the National Chess Master on the global stage, said this could not have been possible without determination, resilience and hard work.
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